5:18

Lexx sighed, taking a moment to lean against a cool rock. A breeze ran through the nearby palms, rustling them gently. The gentle rolling of the ocean waves sounded nearby, coming from the other side of a cliff.

Have to outlast her. He inhaled deeply, sucking in life-giving gulps of clean air scented by nearby flowers. It was peaceful here, high over the island, far from the beach and all the people. The ocean waves rolled, their melodic rhythm rising and falling as the glow to the east brightened. Glimmers of light danced on the ocean far in the distance.

A low, unnatural rustle of leaves came from nearby, that of something moving closer. Low to the ground, it meant Tairin’s dice were stalking him. Lexx turned, staring into a dark patch of ferns. The shape was wrong, and a single pair of eyes peered back.

Serenity parted from the darkness, plodding wearily out of the foliage. Her head hung low, a fresh set of claw marks across her muzzle oozing blood.